Sony recalls Vaio power bricks

SONY IS RECALLING some power adapters sold with its Vaio line of notebooks.

The Japanese consumer electronics giant decided to recall the power bricks after getting four reports of punters receiving electrical shocks from faulty adapters. The problem appears to be faulty insulation in the adapters that lets current escape from the power supplies.

In a statement, the company said, "Sony has initiated a voluntary recall for certain AC power adapters which may short circuit and pose a potential electrical shock hazard."

The VGP-AC19V17 adapters that are being recalled were issued from 2005 with the company's VGP-PRBX1 and VGP-PRFE1 docking adapters as well as with its Vaio series notebook models VGC-LT, VGC-JS240, VGC-JS250, VGC-JS270, and VGC-JS290 sold after 2007.

The company has a website for customers to check to find out if their hardware is one of the affected models. If it is, the company advises unplugging the power supply and applying for a replacement immediately.